We need educational innovation of all kinds – not just tech

Hardly a day goes by without another hand-wringing article from a parent, teacher or pupil appearing in the press.

Free thought is being crushed by box-ticking. Our obsession with exams is wreaking havoc on teenagers’ mental health. Top private schools are cheating; academies are failing. Then there’s the challenge of how to equip young people with the skills for jobs that don’t even exist yet.

For many educators, politicians and business leaders, the answer is digital tools, or ‘edtech’.

The education technology sector – which produces everything from robot teachers to VR language-learning apps – is estimated to be worth £45bn globally and predicted to reach £129bn by 2020.

The UK is a leader in the field, boasting more than 1,200 startups, vocal support from the government, and the highest volume of ‘edtech’ venture capital in Europe.